His Only Faithful Servant
by Remus Weasley
Summary: Voldemort has fallen, and Harry Potter has won. However, the Dark Lord still has one Death Eater who has remained faithful. Taking place directly after the death of Voldemort, this is the story of what would happen if Bellatrix did not die.
1. Reunited

**A/N: To those of you who have been commenting about my italics problem, I believe I have fixed it. If you find anywhere else where there are tags around words or phrases I intended to italicize, please send me a PM telling me where. I apologize for that inconvieniece. On the previous site I used, it required those tags to be around phrases you wanted italicized. When I switched to , I forgot to take those away. Sorry about that, now enjoy!**

Leaves crunched under her quick-moving feet as Bellatrix Lestrange, with her dark hair flying behind her, ran through the Forbidden Forest, away from the all the celebration currently going on in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She was out of breath and her heart was pounding, but that didn't slow her down.

"Hurry up, Cissy!" she hissed to her sister, who ran behind her, stumbling ungracefully over the many limbs and branches that littered the trail the two of them were following.

"Will you slow down a bit?" said the woman with long, snow-white hair struggling to keep up with her sister. "I am exhausted! We've gone far enough."

Bellatrix stopped. "Fine," she said. Both women stepped of the path and sat down behind a tree with a particularly large trunk. They sat there for a while, catching there breath.

_"Lumos,"_ muttered the blonde-haired one, and the tip of the wand she was holding illuminated the face of Narcissa Malfoy, and her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. "So? What do you want? Why have you taken me away from my husband and son to run through this dark, eerie, forest, for no seemingly apparent reason?" She set the wand down on the earthen ground, crossed her arms, and waited for an answer.

"Well, did you see what just happened?" whispered Bellatrix.

"What do you mean did I see what just happened? Of course! The Dark Lord is dead, and now, it's over!" responded Narcissa.

"You mean you believe it?" Bellatrix looked appalled. "You believe that Lord -"

"Don't say that name!" said Narcissa.

"But he is -"

"Just listen to me," demanded Narcissa. "The curse rebounded off of Harry – off of Potter's curse. It hit He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named square in the chest. It is definite that he is now dead. There is no possible way that he could still be alive, or somehow be returned from the dead. Now, if you somehow believe otherwise, fine. But if you've brought me here for some, Death Eater recruitment pep talk, I'm not interested. It's over Bella! Potter and his friends won! You saw it happen, and there is no use denying the fact that You-Know-Who _is dead_!"

"So you believe – you think -" but Narcissa interrupted her sister one more time.

"It's over," she repeated for the third time, trying to get it into Bellatrix's head, but she knew she would not believe that her master was dead for a very long time.

"After all these years," Bellatrix whispered, "he cannot be dead!"

"There is no point discussing this anymore!" said Narcissa. As she spoke this, they could hear footsteps approaching, crunching over the leaf-covered ground.

"Shh!" whispered Bellatrtix. Narcissa did not need to be told. There were probably people looking for remaining Death Eaters right now, and if they were caught, their lives would be at risk. She reached for the wand, whose owner she did not know. She had found it on a step of a staircase, having given her own wand to Draco. _Oh, I hope he's okay, she thought desperately. As soon as I can get away from Bella, I'll rush back to the school and grab Draco and Lucius and head straight home. I just have to get away from Bella! Oh, she can be annoying sometimes!_

Once the wand was in her hand, she muttered, "_Nox_," and the light was extinguished. Now the two women sat there, as if they were paralyzed, not daring to draw a breath, in case they were heard.

"I think this place will do," said a curt voice. _Who could that be_? Narcissa thought, but as the thought formed in her head, she realized she was hearing the familiar voice of Minerva McGonagall. However, she didn't dare look to be sure.

"Never in my life did I think I would be doing – this!" said someone with a high, squeaky voice, who Bellatrix and Narcissa recognized immediately as Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher. They then heard another voice.

"I must admit I don't like the forest much." This voice was much more difficult to put a name to, but the sisters soon realized it belonged to Pomona Sprout, the Herbology professor.

As they listened closer, they could also hear panting, coming nearer and nearer. "Would you hurry up, Horace?" said McGonagall impatiently. "None of us really want to do this."

"So sorry, Minerva," said Slughorn in between breaths. "You three walk rather quickly."

" No matter. Well, Horace, will you dig the grave?" asked McGonagall.

At this statement, both women who were hiding were flooded with curiosity, and Narcissa and Bellatrix couldn't help but turn their heads to see what was going on. Narcissa could have gasped, but she held her breath. When she turned to look at her sister, she saw that Bellatrix's face was mixed with shock, horror, and revulsion. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks pale, and her mouth agape. Never had Narcissa seen her sister look like this, and she knew this wasn't good.

"Stay where you are," Narcissa whispered to Bellatrix. She had only spoken so quietly once before – when she had been asked to check if Harry Potter was dead, and upon realizing he was not, asking him if Draco was alive.

The scene before them must have been Bellatrix Lestrange's nightmare. Slughorn was waving his wand, creating a large hole in the earth, and the dirt was creating a small mound adjacent to the newly creating grave. But the shocking part was the fact that McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout were holding a body covered with a black sheet. That body was none other than – Voldemort.

It was a wonder that Bellatrix didn't leap from behind the tree and attack the four teacher right there, and take her master's body and run far, far away from Hogwarts. But she knew this couldn't be done. After all, there was four of them, and one of her, and she doubted Narcissa would stand by her side. And if she had Voldemort's corpse, what would she do with it? She knew she must restrain herself.

"It is ready," announced Slughorn. Professor Sprout responded by pulling the sheet away from the body, revealing what once was the most feared wizard of all time, now a cold and lifeless corpse.

Tiny Flitwick shuddered. "Let's do this quickly." The three of them silently raised the body, then slowly brought it downward, to rest in the grave. Slughorn watched in silent awe. He then took his wand, and made the mound of dirt fall back into the hole that now held Lord Voldemort.

"Should we mark the spot somehow?" asked Sprout.

McGonagall shook her head. "I don't think that is necessary, Pomona. In case someone stumbles across this place, I don't think they should know where _he_ is buried."

"I agree," squeaked Flitwick.

"Shall we head back to the castle now?" asked Professor Sprout.

"I think so. I really don't like being here," agreed Flitwick.

"After all, I'm sure there will be a delicious feast!" Slughorn smiled broadly.

McGonagall rolled her eyes at Horace's complete obliviousness to the serious situation. "Filius, you lead the way," she said. Professor Flitwick lit his wand, and walked with surprising speed down the path, followed by McGonagall, then Sprout, then, lagging behind, Slughorn, who had started panting again.

The two sisters remained silent for quite some time, until Bellatrix broke the silence. "Let's have a look." She stood up, and walked the short distance to where the four professors had buried the Dark Lord. She raised her wand, but Narcissa interrupted.

"Wait!"

"What is it, Cissy?" Bellatrix said, exasperated.

"I-I don't think we should do this," Narcissa said.

"Cissy!" exclaimed Bellatrix. "Listen! He is my master! You think I will just let him lie in a hole and decay? He will return! I will make sure it happens!" There was now a manic gleam in her dark eyes.

"Please Bella, I don't want to see it. After all, is that not proof enough for you? They carried in his body, and buried it in dirt! Do you still think he is alive?"

Bellatrix paused. "I think that he could, it is possible that he may be -" but she was lost for words. She could see no way that Lord Voldemort was actually alive anymore, but she didn't, of course, want to admit that to her sister.

"You know he is dead! I am done arguing with you Bella. It is time for us to part ways," Narcissa said.

"Are you going to run away from me? Take poor wittle Wucius and Dwaco and wun home where it is safe?" mocked Bellatrix, using her much despised baby voice.

"Don't talk like that to me!" commanded Narcissa angrily, her eyes narrowing to snakelike slits.

"Aw, what are you going to do?" said Bellatrix, still in her baby voice.

"I am going home," Narcissa declared. And with that statement, she turned on her heel, her robes whipping around simultaneously with her long, blond hair, and quickly walked away from her sister.

"Well go then!" shouted Bellatrix. She had stopped using her baby voice. "Fine! I don't care! I don't need you! I don't want you either! As long as I'm with the Dark Lord, I am pleased!"

But Narcissa ignored her. She continued walking down the trail, until she had faded from view.

"See if I care," Bellatrix muttered to herself angrily. "I only seek _his_ honor, not _Cissy's_," she said. And then after looking around to make sure no one was looking, she raised her wand, or at least whatever wand she had – that Mudblood Granger had her wand, and just as Horace Slughorn had done, made the earth rise and fall into a pile nearby. She smiled to herself, then got down on her knees and peered over the edge of the grave. And Bellatrix Lestrange and her master were reunited once again.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, please write a review!**


	2. Quill and Parchment

**A/N: I know this chapter seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the last one. However, I promise that the characters of last chapter and this chapter will cross paths soon. Please review! Thanks to those of you who added my story to your favorites - it made my day.**

The morning after Bellatrix Lestrange and her sister were rushing down the path of the Forbidden Forest, two other people were also rushing down a much different path. However, these two people were traveling along a much more used road.

Two black shiny, high-heeled shoes _clip-clopped_ against the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. Swishing around these two shoes was a pair of magenta robes so bright you had to squint to see the person wearing them. In the pocket of these robes a large, elegant quill could be seen. In the hurry the woman was in, the quill fell out of her pockets and onto the street.

"Oops!" She giggled, and stooped down to pick it up.

Lagging behind her was a man who looked very tired and unwilling to be doing this. He was struggling to keep up with the woman's fast pace, and he was carrying a bulky, heavy camera.

"Could you slow down, Rita?" he gasped. "I'm exhausted. It doesn't matter how fast we get there anyway."

Rita Skeeter stopped abruptly and turned around viciously. "No! We have a very busy schedule today and there is no time for dilly-dallying! Now come on!" She turned around again and continued walking quickly down the street.

When he was sure Rita wasn't looking, the man rolled his eyes, but continued following her, his large camera still slowing him down.

A few short minutes later, the two acquaintances neared the large, marble-white building that was the bank, Gringotts. A large number of goblins were gathered around the entrance, conversing nervously. One of them looked up, and, upon seeing Rita Skeeter and her cameraman, whispered to the others, "She's coming!"

All the goblins groaned. "Whatever you do, don't let her inside," another one whispered. "Let's make this quick and we can get back to what's more important." The goblins and nodded their assent, and turned to confront the information-thirsty newspaper reporter.

"Hello, my little friends!" Rita said cheerfully, putting on a huge, false smile. "How are we doing today?"

The goblins grimaced at being addressed like children, but held their tongues as to not make a scene. One goblin who was slightly taller than the others replied curtly, "Fine."

"Really? You seem a bit down to me," said Rita, mock sympathy in her voice. "What's wrong? Why are so many of you guarding the door? Why do I have the feeling you are keeping something from me?" She took her Quick-Quotes Quill and a roll of parchment from her robes. The quill sat quite still, but the goblins all knew as soon as they started talking, it would begin to write.

"Ms. Skeeter, that is classified. If you want information, you're at the wrong place. You will not get any report from _us_. Now, I suggest you leave immediately, or you _will _face charges," the tall goblin warned her sternly. The Quick-Quotes Quill scribbled something on the parchment as soon as he stopped speaking.

"Oh will I? I think if it comes down to force, I believe I can overpower you," Rita replied nastily. "But, I do not want to start an argument! I just want to know who broke into your bank, and _how_."

All the goblins exchanged nervous glances, and the tallest one began to speak, but it was too late. An excited looking goblin with a young face rushed out of the heavily guarded doors. His associates attempted to hush him, but the young goblin spoke anyway.

"Everyone! Guess what! We have found out exactly how Potter and his friends broke into the Lestrange's vault!" His face was glowing like a lantern with excitement, and the Quick-Quotes Quill began flying across the parchment.

Rita Skeeter was quick to act. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at the group of goblins, who were all about ready to grab the young one and drag him inside. "_Silencio!_" she bellowed. She then re-aimed her wand, and shouted another incantation. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" All of the goblins became immobilized, and dropped to the street with heavy thuds. Then, with a quick Disillusionment Charm, there was no proof any goblins were ever there. Rita then turned to the young goblin. "Tell me everything," she whispered, and knelt down so she could be at his height.

The goblin then launched into a full explanation of everything, eager for his fifteen minutes of fame: the disguises, the Thief's Downfall, Hufflepuff's Cup, and the escape on the dragon. The Quick-Quotes Quill had never worked faster; it was barely visible in the speed of its writing . Rita's mouth gradually widened to a huge smile as the goblin spoke; when she was finished, it looked almost like her face had been rubberized by a charm of Fred and George's.

"Thank you so much!" She reached into her pockets and pulled out a pouch with twenty-five Galleons dancing around inside it. "Just a little gift for your wonderful explanation. But, lets keep this just between us," she whispered, and glanced around as if checking for witnesses. The goblin nodded excitedly, lost for words. "Run along now," she said. "And remember, all this is just between you and me." She smiled, and the goblin ran off.

"Excellent!" Rita said to her cameraman. Then she grabbed her quill, shoved it in her pockets along with the parchment, and started walking away from the bank. However, she stopped short. "Wait. Just one more thing: o_bliviate_." She directed her wand to where she knew the immobile, invisible goblins were lying. "There. Now they won't remember anything." Rita smiled broadly, and continued walking down the street, her cameraman still struggling to keep up.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked. Rita continued walking, but responded.

"What?"

"Why did you give that goblin all those Galleons?" he asked.

This time, Rita Skeeter stopped and turned around. "Trust me," she said. "I'll get much more money than that when this report gets in the paper." She whipped back around, and began walking once again.

"Rita?"

"Yes?" she said sweetly.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To where the real story is – Hogwarts." And with that, she turned on her heel for the final time. They walked until they reached the Leaky Cauldron, the cameraman lugging his equipment and Rita with her nose in the air and a smirk on her face. Rita opened the door and walked in, the cool, inside air washing over her like a refreshing breeze. Tom the barman looked up from wiping off the bar and, seeing that it was someone he needed to kiss up to, smiled with his usual toothless grin and waved at Rita.

"What are you up to, Ms. Skeeter?"

Rita smiled back at him. "Oh, nothing much, Tom," she replied. "Just out for some morning reporting!" She giggled slightly, as if she were a schoolgirl who had just discovered the latest gossip.

"Ah," Tom said, mentally rolling his eyes. Deep down, he couldn't stand Rita. "Well, I don't want to slow you down."

"Don't worry about it!" the reporter said, moving her hand as though she were brushing something aside. "I'll just be on my way now!" Tom nodded, and Rita walked over to the fireplace, pulled some Floo powder from her handbag, thrust it into the flames, and stepped into the fireplace. "The Three Broomsticks!"

There was that familiar sensation of being pulled through a tight rubber tube, and then, the air was much easier to breathe in. Once she landed in the fireplace of the popular Hogsmeade bar, Rita habitually straightened out her glasses and smoothed out her dress. As she did this, her cameraman came stumbling ungracefully out of the green flames in the fireplace next to hers.

"Let's go," she told him, glancing around nervously. The pub was loud and packed with witches and wizards, all celebrating the downfall of Lord Voldemort. As Rita emerged from the crowd, Madame Rosmerta glanced away momentarily from her customer spotted her. "Uh oh." Rita scowled.

"OUT! Get out!" Madame Rosmerta bellowed at the reporter from behind her counter. "You do NOT have permission to be in my pub!" The whole room fell silent as they watched the bartender.

Rita remained calm. "All right, all right. I was just leaving!" She put an innocent expression on her pale face.

"LEAVE!" Madame Rosmerta pointed to the door.

"All right, I'll just be on my way," Rita said. "Come on, Jonathon." She gestured to the cameraman, indicating that he was to follow her. Madame Rosmerta was still pointing at the door.

"Any day now," she said impatiently. Rita rolled her eyes and left.

"Sorry about that," Jonathon said. "She might not have noticed you if I hadn't fallen-"

"Oh, don't worry," Rita replied. "I get used to it."

"How many places have you been banned from?" The cameraman looked as though he regretted his statement almost the instant it came out of his mouth.

"Weasely's Wizarding Wheezes, the Three Broomsticks, and Hogwarts." If looks could kill, Rita's eyes could have burned through hundreds.

"But we're going to Hogwarts right now!"

"Don't worry. We didn't make you become an Animagi for nothing. It's time to use your new skill." Jonathon looked nervous. RitaSkeeter smiled, and then added, "I'm so glad you turned out to be a mouse. Imagine if you were an elephant!" the cameraman smiled weakly and tried to laugh. Rita herself just started laughing; clearly, she thought herself to be hilarious. "Now, let's go," she said, and started walking towards the castle. She walked with a confidence no one of her reputation should have; it was as if she was walking into her publisher's office, and not one of many places she had been banned from. Rita had no fear of being turned away; she knew she would be. And she had covered that, too. Once they reached the gates, two tall Aurors stopped them.

"Hello." Rita gave a smile that wasn't returned. "May I enter?"

"No," the Auror standing on the left responded.

"There is no way that you will let us in?"

"No."

"Nothing I could say -"

"No."

Rita was used to responses like this, but she wasn't giving up. "May I see the headmistress?" Then she added, as though it might influence the Aurors, "Please?"

The two Aurors exchanged glances. "Fine. But she will not let you in either," one said.

"We'll see," muttered the reporter. One Auror grabbed a broomstick that he had propped up against the gate and flew up to one of the many towers of Hogwarts. A few minutes later, he came back, with Professor McGonagall on a broom behind him.

Upon seeing Rita, McGonagall scowled and rolled her eyes "What do you want, Ms. Skeeter?" she asked, sighing tiredly."I would like to see Harry Potter."

"What makes you think you can do that?"

"I would like to ask him some questions, of course!" Rita said, smiling sweetly.

"What makes you think you can do that?" McGonagall repeated, her voice quivering. "You have been banned from the grounds of Hogwarts, so no, you may not see Harry Potter!"

"I was banned from Hogwarts under _Dumbledore's_ headmastership, Professor," Rita reminded McGonagall. "I thought with _you_ in charge of the school, things may have changed a bit."

"Well, you are still banned from Hogwarts," McGonagall replied curtly. "And if you don't leave now, you _can _and _will_ be put under arrest!" McGonagall's lined face became angry.

"Oh will I?" Rita folded her arms across her chest, drawing herself up to her full height-which still wasn't much of which to speak. "The Ministry of Magic will not arrest _me_!"

"The Ministry has changed, Ms. Skeeter! With all the Death Eaters that were infiltrating it on the run, and Kingsley Shacklebolt the new minister, I think that the ministry will indeed arrest you!" McGonagall was infuriated by Skeeter's presence, and made it well known.

"Oh well." Rita gave an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose I'll be on my way then!" And she retreated, Jonathon trailing behind her.

"Keep an eye on her," the headmistress muttered to the two Aurors, as Rita disappeared from view. They nodded, and, with a swish of her black robes, Professor McGonagall mounted her broom and flew back to the castle.

Meanwhile, as soon as Rita and Jonathon were out of eyeshot of the Aurors, the two journalists hid behind a shrub a short distance from the school's grounds. "Make sure no one is nearby." Rita glanced quickly around herself nervously, before morphing her body into the form of a shiny, black beetle. Jonathon followed suit, but only after casting a Disillusionment Charm over his camera and hiding it in the shrub. However, he transfigured into a snow-white colored mouse.

Jonathon had been told what to if he ever needed to transform into a mouse while on the job. Follow the beetle, and do only what she did. So, as the beetle began scuttling away through the grass, the white mouse followed, rather unwillingly. But, the force behind his movements was the constant mantra: _she signs those checks, she signs those checks, she signs those checks…_ Over mounds of dirt and through brambles of bushes went the odd pairing of creatures, until the beetle stopped at a portion of the gate that was far away from the two Aurors. The beetle crawled between two of the iron bars easily, and the mouse followed with some difficulty, but managed to squeeze through after a moment. They passed the greenhouses, filled with unusual plants, and Hagrid's hut, a thin stream of gray smoke emerging steadily from the chimney. They quickly reached the main entrance, movements unhindered by the grass. Since neither of them was capable of opening the door, they remained hidden against the wall, waiting for someone to open the door.

It took about twenty minutes before two second-year Ravenclaw girls came out of the door, giggling loudly. At the first, and possibly only, chance, the two animals rushed through the door that was slowly swinging closed.

Once inside the entrance hall, the news reporters in disguise made their way through the castle, over staircases, through many doors, and passing many students, most of who didn't even notice the two animals rushing under their very own feet. Finally, after this long, tiring journey, considering the fact that they were only very small animals with very short legs, Rita and Jonathon reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. To the beetle's delight, she was drunk and fast asleep. Perfect! And there was a crack between the portrait and the adjacent wall where Rita could fit perfectly if she turned just so… Jonathon, however, was a different story. Even a little mouse couldn't possibly fit through. After making sure nobody was around, Rita turned into a human again. Following suit, Jonathon re-formed as well.

"You'll have to stay here," Rita informed her assistant. "You can't fit through that space."

Jonathon shrugged. "All right then." It wasn't as if he cared; in fact, the more time away from Rita, the better.

"Just wait out here. Cast a Disillusionment Charm on yourself. I will likely be a while, but don't worry."

The cameraman shrugged once more. "All right," he repeated.

Rita smiled and pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill. "Wish me luck!" And, with that, she turned back into a beetle, crawled up the wall, and through the small crack next to the portrait of the drunken fat lady.

Once on the other side, Rita observed her surroundings. The common room was packed with Gryffindor students, all celebrating the downfall of Lord Voldemort, which had only occurred last night. Her line of vision was very low to the ground, so it was difficult to see exactly who was in the room, most importantly if Harry Potter himself was present. Since trying to put names to faces was useless, Rita decided to just make her appearance, regardless if Harry was present or not. So, she scuttled behind an armchair and transformed back to herself, still crouched behind the chair so as not to be seen in the act.

The reporter then stood up. It seemed that nobody noticed her, except for one person, who wasn't pleased in the slightest with Rita's presence.

"YOU!" The shriek pierced the common room, silencing everyone. All the Gryffindors stared at the seventeen-year-old girl who made this sound. She was standing at the foot of the staircase with a very nervous looking Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown on either side of her. Ron Weasely had gotten up from his seat in a chair by the fireplace to calm Hermione.

"Hermione, please -"

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" She violently pushed Ron aside, and began storming across the common room. Ron was taken aback, and Parvati and Lavender exchanged nervous glances. "YOU FOUL, LYING, CHEATING INSECT!" Hermione stopped in the center of the room and began bombarding the reporter with curses. "_FURNUNCULUS! RELASHIO! STUPEFY!!_" Then, on a second thought, she yelled, "_REDUCTO__!"_

"_PROTEGO__!"_ This voice belonged to Harry Potter, who had emerged from the boy's dormitory, creating an invisible shield between his friend and Rita. However, his spell was too late. Hermione's _Reducto_ curse hit Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill, and it shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor. Rita's face was mortified as she watched her much-loved quill be destroyed.

However, Hermione didn't pause. "_PETRIFICUS TOTALUS__!"_ she bellowed, immobilizing Harry so he couldn't stop her further efforts. On a less dramatic occasion, Ron, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, who were all nearby, would have helped Harry, but the shock of the situation left all of them frozen where they stood.

Hermione's anger alone could have blasted Harry's strong shield charm away, but with a flick of her wand, it was gone. "_Expelliarmus_." Rita Skeeter's wand flew out of her robes as she reached for it and landed with a clatter in the corner of the room. Hermione walked right up to her and pressed her wand to Rita's neck. "Get out. You have been banned from Hogwarts. Get out." Hermione's voice was low and trembling.

"Have these professors taught you anything at this school of yours," hissed Rita, "about respect?"

"I think I can choose who to respect and who not to on my own." Hermione voice trembled as she pressed her wand deeper into Rita's neck.

"I have come to speak with Harry Potter. Not little girls who don't know anything about the real world," the reporter snarled, somehow still confident despite Hermione's menacing presence.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but stopped with the words dying on her lips. Harry tapped her on the shoulder to draw her attention momentarily. The effects of the body-bind curse had obviously worn off: or someone had taken pity on Harry and produced a counter-curse. "Let her talk to me," he muttered.

Hermione slowly took her wand away from Rita's neck. "Are you sure?"

"The sooner we hear what she wants, the sooner she'll leave." Harry's green eyes said that he wasn't going to change his mind.

Hermione hesitated. "All right." She backed away, but not before saying one last thing to Rita. "And just for your information, Harry is younger than this 'little girl.'" She gestured to herself, and then turned around to join Ron, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, who all stood next to each other, watching Harry.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I have come to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime." _I already have had the opportunity of a lifetime, _thought Harry. Rita paused, as if waiting for Harry to say something. He didn't, so she continued. "Your life has been…quite a story, one which I'm sure many people would love to know the whole of. There are things you have kept secret, I am sure, that the public has never found out. However, I believe that the whole world is… _itching_ to find out. So, I would like to sit down with you for a series of interviews, and find out enough about you for myself to write a biography of your life. How does that sound?"

"No." Harry's answer was curt, firm, and definitive.

Rita pretended not to hear him. The truth was, she just didn't want to accept no for an answer, and sometimes badgering got her what she wanted. "What did you say?"

"I said no."

Rita pasted a look of sympathetic shock onto her face. "Why ever not?"

"I've seen you write before, and what you write is nothing but lies," Harry snapped. "Your biography of Dumbledore was filled with lies, and I'm sure your book on Armando Dippet was nothing but lies! I am not interested in the slightest. If that's all you have to say, you know the way out." He gestured toward the portrait hole.

These words only served to incense Rita. No one told Rita Skeeter no! "Now you listen up, Potter -"

But at that moment, the portrait swung open to reveal Minerva McGonagall standing in the center of the entryway.

"Rita Skeeter! Did I not tell you that you were banned from Hogwarts?" Steam seemed to rise from the headmistress's ears. McGonagall's anger was almost tangible.

"Oh, Minerva -"

"We are _not_ on first name terms! Get out of my school!" McGonagall yelled. "And I will be filing a report!"

Rita rolled her eyes, momentarily ignoring McGonagall. "Please re-think my offer, Harry," she said sweetly, and turned around to follow McGonagall out of the Gryffindor common room, her high-heeled shoes making loud _click-clack _noises against the stone floor.

Once outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, Jonathon saw that his boss had been caught. He had half a mind to just leave, and say to her later, "Oh, I was waiting for you, but you never came back!" But, against his deepest longing, Jonathon followed Rita, because he still wanted that paycheck signed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!**

**Kakashis-First-Kiss did a fantastic job beta-ing this chapter! Big thanks to her. Check out her stories - they're great!**


	3. Better Things to Worry About

"Unbelievable!" Hermione slapped the paper against the wood of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. "Look at this!" She shook the newspaper in front of Harry's face, clearly incensed by the content. Harry grabbed thelatest edition of the _Daily Prophet_ from her hand. "Well? Read it!" Hermione told him impatiently.

"All right, all right!" Harry said, hastily raising the paper to read the front-page headlines. His dark eyebrows rose as soon as the words registered in his brain; Hermione looked at him eagerly, clearly expecting a response.

"Amusing," Harry said slowly, unsure what Hermione was anticipating.

Hermione was shocked at Harry's response. "Amusing? Is that all? You find this amusing?" Her fellow Gryffindor students who sat around her were looking at her oddly now, but that didn't seem to bother Hermione. "If I were you, I'd go to the Ministry right now and demand -"

"But you're not me," said Harry. "Really, Hermione, I think we have better things to worry about."

Hermione was not going to give up so easily. "Did you not read this correctly? The headline says, 'Harry Potter Biography Coming Soon.' You know who's behind this!"

"Yes, I do. But Hermione, I've had enough. Let her write it! People know by now that she can't tell the truth if she tried! _And_, chances are, if I don't stop her, someone else will. And if no one else does, so be it. As I said before, there are better things to worry about."

"Like what?" Hermione challenged. "Voldemort is gone!"

"Yes, but there are still Death Eaters, still old prejudices, and still Ministry corruption. Those are things much more important, and Rita Skeeter, no matter how annoying she is, is at the bottom of my concerns right now," Harry said.

"Hmm." Hermione rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to her plate of food.

It had now been almost a full twenty-four hours since Tom Riddle perished, and things were surprisingly calm. Although the time afterward had been quite celebratory, the morning came, and everyone seemed to have mellowed down. After being awoken by Hermione's shrieks all the way down in the common room, Harry had proceeded to spend the time by talking with friends he hadn't seen since the end of his sixth year, and there had definitely been a lot of catching up to do.

Right now, Hogwarts was home to much more people than students and professors. Families that hadn't seen each other for a year were united again, and everyone was glad to be alive. Next morning, there was to be a memorial for all who had died, and everyone who had been killed was to be honored. McGonagall had been appointed as the official headmistress now, after a unanimous vote from the school governors. She graciously accepted, of course. She took this post in addition to her role as Transfiguration teacher. However, that left an empty space for the Gryffindor head of house, and a replacement was sought. The search didn't take long; Hagrid was more than happy to step in. School lessons were postponed for the time being, since many parts of the castle were under major reconstruction. Overall, however, it was a joyous time for the wizarding community.

"Hey," said a tired voice, interrupting Harry and Hermione's thoughts. The latter looked up, smiled, and pecked Ron lightly on the cheek. Harry looked down at his plate with sudden interest in his potatoes.

"We were waiting for you," said Hermione, removing her lips from Ron's freckled face. "Let's walk." She and Harry stood up to join Ron, and they walked together out of the large wooden doors of the Great Hall and outside. The sun was setting across the sparkling lake, right behind Dumbledore's white tomb, nothing more than a dark silhouette in the remaining light.

The trio walked in silence for a few minutes, until Ron broke their noiseless stroll. "So, what do we do now?" he asked.

It took a while for his friends to reply, but Hermione spoke first. "I'm going to Australia," she said.

"Huh?" Harry and Ron spoke at the same time.

"My parents," Hermione explained. "I need to reverse my memory charm. I think I owe them a pretty big explanation." She smiled weakly.

Harry nodded. "Right. But, what about after that? You won't stay there, will you?"

Hermione shook her head. "Oh no. I'm going to come back to Hogwarts. I haven't finished my education!"

Harry and Ron exchanged an awkward glance.

Hermione seemed puzzled. "Well, aren't you?" she asked.

Harry and Ron looked at each other again. "Er…"

Their friend looked down. "I see." She remained silent for an awkward moment. "So, what are you planning to do then?" The three of them had stopped walking.

"Well, I was going to see what I would need to do to become an Auror," Harry said quietly. Hermione nodded slowly, then turned to Ron.

"What about you?"

"Same thing really," Ron muttered. "Become an Auror." The three friends slowly started walking again. It took quite a while for anyone to speak again. In fact, what caused someone to speak was Harry stopping in his tracks. Hermione and Ron, who walked on either side of him, stopped as soon as they saw Harry stop.

"It doesn't matter," Harry said abruptly. "Wherever we go, we'll still be friends. Always."

Ron nodded. "You're right. We'll always be together."

Hermione's lower lip began to tremble, and she then threw her arms around both boys in a fierce embrace that lasted the few seconds until the sun set below the horizon, enveloping the trio in darkness. Finally, they let go, and each lit their wand to vanish the darkness around them.

"We should get back to the castle," whispered Hermione. The other two nodded in agreement. They began to walk back towards the monstrous building looming in the distance, but something made them turn around. In the last shreds of the daylight, they could just see the white tomb of Albus Dumbledore. They all paused for a moment, emotion welling up in each of them like tidal waves.

"He would be proud," whispered Harry softly. It was unclear to Ron and Hermione if he was speaking to himself, or to them, but Hermione responded anyway.

"He _is _proud," she said. She slowly reached her arm upward and rested it around Harry's shoulder. Ron, who was standing on the other side of him, followed suit. They walked like this the rest of the way to the entrance hall, a small tear glistening in each of their eyes.

The following morning, every student at Hogwarts got up early, dressed in their dress robes, and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Instead of the usual decorations, however, black drapes hung down from the ceiling and walls. The whole meal was eaten in silence, but not because anyone was asked to do so. This morning was meant to honor those who died in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Harry walked down from the common room alone, left to his own thoughts. He sat down next to Luna. No one was sitting by houses anymore. Luna looked up at Harry and smiled; she respected the silence. Slowly, more students trickled down from their own dormitories and sat down, filling the benches, until no more room was available. Extra chairs were conjured by professors and the remaining people sat in those. Hermione and Ron took their seats adjacent to Harry. They too said nothing, and only gave their friend a small smile.

About a half hour later, very little food had been eaten, and Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat at the professor's table at the head of the room. "It is time to proceed outside where the ceremony will take place." She paused. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Please exit the Great Hall in an orderly fashion." The tremendous sound of the wooden benches being pushed back echoed through the enormous room. "No pushing, please!" McGonagall yelled at some young first years. Some things would never change.

Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him. Slowly, he walked with the rest of the wizards and witches toward the exit, his friends following behind. Ginny appeared from the sea of people away from her parents and toward Harry, where she slowly placed her hand around his. Arthur made a gesture attempting to take her back, but Molly placed an arm on his shoulder. "Let it be," she whispered.

Eventually, the congregation stood surrounding an empty patch of grass on the top of a hill nearby the lake. All was silent. The professors all stepped forward and into the center of the ring. Suddenly, beautiful music filled the air, and all heads turned upwards to see where it was coming from. It was Fawkes, Dumbledore's faithful phoenix, who had disappeared after his master's death. Now, however, the majestic bird had now returned to pay respect to those who died fighting for what was right by singing his song. Many gasps could be heard at the sight of him, and there were few eyes that were not weeping.

Then, joining the sound of Fawkes, the merpeople rose from the watery depths of the Great Lake and sang _their_ song. It was strangely beautiful, and when combined with the bird's music, sounded like harmony.

However, not everyone had arrived to the ceremony yet. All at once, the merpeople moved towards the perimeter of the lake to make room for the gargantuan vessel that was about to appear. The bow appeared fist, just as it had many years ago while announcing its arrival at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Eventually, a whole ship appeared, and, once it had completely emerged, a gangplank slowly fell down onto the grass surrounding the lake's shore. In a single file line, Durmstrang students came out from their quarters inside the ship to pay their respects to those who had lost their lives as well. They joined the congregation, but were not the last to do so.

Disrupting the beautiful song of the merpeople and Fawkes came the whinnying of Abraxan horses; they were pulling the Beauxbatons carriage across the cloud-spotted sky. They gracefully circled the spectators a few times, before gently landing nearby. The soft music continued playing as the blue robed students emerged from their transport in a neat, single-file line. Last to exit was Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons. She wore an elegant, deep purple robe that swept the grass as she proceeded toward the assembly, which her pupils had already joined. She took her place next to Hagrid.

And then, as the doors to the Beauxbatons carriages automatically swung shut, a rustling was heard deep within the Forbidden Forest. It was the centaurs. They slowly emerged from the trees that were there home. They all lined up at the edge of the woods, their human faces serious, and their horse bodies erect. Following them came the thestrals, which many, prior to the battle were unable to see. Now, the majority of the crowd could view them. Many gasps and muttering hummed through the mourners, but their attention was soon averted to the tops of the trees, where the head of Grawp, the giant, was visible. The ground shook, causing everybody to grasp the arms of their nearby friends for balance until Grawp's lumbering footsteps came to a stop.

And even after that, not everybody had arrived. Slowly, more and more families, couples, friends, and solo travelers had come walking from the gates of the school to the memorial service. After about half an hour, people had finally ceased to arrive, and the memorial began. And the sound of Fawkes and the merpeople could still be heard.

In unison, the professors raised their wands toward the sky, and the tips immediately began to glow. And from their wands arose golden sparks, which danced and flitted about above the heads of the audience gleefully, until they joined together to form words.

_Not too long ago_, they read, _Lord Voldemort, along with his army of Death Eaters invaded the castle of Hogwarts._Then, the golden sparks turned various colors, and formed to make the image of Hogwarts. It hovered there for a moment, before turning into more golden letters. For a while, the sentences continued forming, telling the tale of Voldemort and his followers, and their attack on the school. Soon, it was time to honor those who were killed. One by one, the golden sparks formed the names of the person who had died, along with an image of their face adjourning them.

Whenever a face would appear of someone Harry knew, it felt as though a jolt of electricity had run through his body. The first name to appear was Colin Creevey, the young, Muggle-born boy, who, against the rules, returned to battle with the oldest students and adults. He, although young, was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in, and unfortunately died doing so.

As his image continued to hover above the heads of the audience, McGonagall asked, "Would anyone like to speak of Colin's behalf?"

"Yes," came a voice from the crowd, and then Dennis Creevey, Colin's younger brother emerged. For a few minutes he spoke about his brother. His words were emotional, and everyone could tell he meant everything he said. He delivered beautifully; he never stuttered or paused. When he had finished, he stepped back into the crowd. Then, the glittering sparks that formed Colin's face all rushed down to the ground, where they were then imprinted on the grass. It was beautiful magic, and when Dennis saw his brother's face staring up to the sky from the grass, several tears rolled off his face onto the grass.

So, this continued for all those had died. The face and the name would appear in the air, and then someone would talk for a moment about that person, and then their face would be imprinted on the grassy hilltop next to the others.

When it came to Fred Weasley's face, there was a stirring in the crowd. All the Weasleys, who stood together, were weeping; even Ron's cheeks had streaks of tear water on them. Even the professors, none of whom would miss Fred's obnoxious behavior, were crying. In between sobs, however, McGonagall managed to summon the person who would speak about Fred – Percy.

He walked forward, into the center of the ring, carefully avoiding stepping on anyone's picture.

"I -" Percy paused. "I…have been a bit of a git lately." A few people smiled weakly, including Ron and George. "And unfortunately, Fred usually only saw that side of me. However, in the very end, when we were both fighting together, fighting together for the same cause, he saw another side of me. He saw the likeable side of me, the side of me he enjoyed being around." He paused again. "But he couldn't enjoy it for long. But, in his last moments, he was smiling and laughing, something that no one else can do as well as him. And I know that he died happy, and for that, I, and I'm sure many other people can rest easily."

And then, as he stepped back, Fred's grinning face was forever imprinted on the hill.

Fred was the last student to be recognized. Then began the adults, first of who were Lupin and Tonks. Their faces appeared simultaneously, and Andromeda walked into the center, followed by the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. They spoke together of the two brave Aurors, and how they had done their job even better than any other Aurors had. They spoke about Teddy, and how proud he would be when he learned of his parent's heroic acts.

Many more people were recognized, until the end, when only one person was left. It was Snape.

And for the final time, McGonagall asked, "Would anyone like to speak on Professor Snape's behalf?"

No one was expecting anyone to want to talk about Snape, however, there was one student whose voice wanted to be heard.

Harry Potter stepped into the center, directly under Severus Snape's stern face. "Professor Snape, as many of you seem not to believe, was on our side." A murmuring ran through the assembly of people, but Harry held out his hand to silence them. "In a way too complicated to explain, Snape brought about the downfall of Lord Voldemort. He showed me everything I needed to know to defeat the Dark Lord. Because of him, we are what we are today. If he had not died saving us, we would still be in the castle, battling the Death Eaters. Because of him, the world will now be free from evil. He didn't ask for any of that, though. So I ask each and every one of you to remember Sna – Severus as a hero, and not as a mean potions professor. Do it for me, do it for you, and do it for Severus. Otherwise, he would have died in vain. Thank you."

And with that, Snape's image flew down to the grass as though through a funnel, and was the last face to join the group. As soon as it was pasted to the grass, the professors pocketed their wands, and joined the rest of the congregation.

The earth suddenly began to rumble, as it had when Grawp arrived. Once more, people grasped their friend's arms or shoulders for support. Emerging from the soil of the hill, from each of the four corners of the square that all the faces on the grass made, were four golden columns, slowly rising toward to sky. They climbed in unison, as though suspended by puppet strings. Once they reached about ten feet high, the all turned toward the center of the square, where they joined in the middle, forming what looked like the frame of a tent. Next appeared a golden fence, which joined all four poles together to form a closed square. Then, golden beams appeared, criss-crossing over the faces on the grass. It was to act as a catwalk, where people could view their family or friends. It was a beautiful, magical transformation, and once it had all stopped moving, the crowd applauded. For one last time, all of the faces of the dead appeared above the golden monument, until they flew up to the sky, where they disappeared into the clouds.

The ceremony was finished, so slowly, people dispersed and went their separate ways. Many, though, stayed to take in the moment by the newly erected monument, to view and remember their loved ones.

And Fawkes and the merpeople were still singing.

**Kakashis-First-Kiss did an excellent job beta reading this chapter. Thanks a ton!**

**Please leave a review or PM me with feedback!**


	4. A Place to Stay

Bellatrix's long, dirty fingernails ran slowly across the dusty, wooden chair. _This place will have to do_, she thought. She had spent the whole day attempting to find a suitable place to stay without being noticed by anyone. _Although_, she reminded herself,_ I probably will not be able to stay for long. Perhaps I shouldn't get too comfortable_. It hadn't been easy finding a suitable location, but this place would have to suffice for now. It began right after Narcissa left her in the forest.

***

It wasn't easy to leave Hogwarts unnoticed, especially with the recent added security. So, for about a day, Bellatrix hid in the Forbidden Forest, guarding the place where Voldemort was buried. It was a foolish pastime, but to Bellatrix, it was important that he remain undisturbed. It wasn't until she heard music in the distance that she decided to leave the forest. With great caution she exited the trees, and was delighted to see that a large mass of people were gathered atop a hill by the lake.

"Fools!" she yelled to no one in particular. "I bet there's nobody guarding the gates!" She danced with glee towards the currently unguarded entrance. "So long Hogwarts! I'll be seeing you soon!" And with that, she simply pushed the iron bars open and walked away.

Her only regret with leaving was that she had left Voldemort's corpse alone. However, she doubted anyone would return to disturb it. It seemed as though only she, her sister, and the four professors knew of his whereabouts, and she doubted any of those people would return to his resting place.

Once outside the walls, there was no point in walking, so Bellatrix simply Apparated to where she wanted to go – Malfoy Manor.

She appeared directly outside of the Malfoy's regal looking gate. She rudely kicked them open, and proceeded inside. Upon arriving at the door, she was greeted by Narcissa.

Bellatrix's sister paused for a moment. "You may come in," she said. "But I will remind you once more I do not wish to involve myself in any further activity dealing with the You-Know-Who."

Without a response, Bellatrix entered. Narcissa guided her to a sitting room. Both women caught a quick glimpse of Draco, but he darted out of the room the moment they entered. Ignoring her nephew, Bellatrix asked, "I see you weren't at the ceremony." Narcissa's eyes stared deeply into the fireplace, avoiding her sister's gaze. "At Hogwarts," Bellatrix added.

"I wasn't," replied Narcissa, still refusing to make eye contact. "As a family, we've decided to… lay low for the time being."

"Understandable," Bellatrix muttered. "I have different, opinions, of course." She smiled.

"Bella, why have you come here?"

"I need a place to stay."

"Why not stay in the forest?" Narcissa finally averted her eyes from the fire. "With _him_?"

Narcissa's sister's eyes widened. "Well I can't stay so close to Hogwarts! Someone will surely find me ."

"True," Narcissa said. "But you cannot stay here. We will be searched. People will surely suspect us. You are not safe here."

Bellatrix looked appalled. "You just want to get rid of me!"

Narcissa stood. "It is for you safety! If you would like to bring the Death Eaters back to power, by all means, do so! But not here! I will not be involved!"

Her dark-haired sister stared at Nacissa. "Cissy -"

"No! Bella, I will _not_ get involved."

***

Shortly afterwards, Bellatrix stood, invisible, outside of the Leaky Cauldron on the side facing Diagon Alley. _Disillusionment Charms are _so_ useful_, she thought to herself. She stayed there for a moment, waiting for an unsuspecting witch to exit the pub. After a few minutes, a short, dark-skinned woman whose arms were full of goods was Stunned, and quickly, Bellatrix pulled her behind a garbage can, then cast a Disillusionment Charm on her. Pulling from her ow robes a small glass vial full of brown liquid, Polyjuice Potion, she then plucked a hair from the witch's head and dropped it in the glass. She always carried a bottle around, just in case. Now, Bellatrix Lestrange was ready to go.

Disguised as the dark-skinned woman, Bellatrix strolled down Diagon Alley until she found her destination of Knockturn Alley. At first looking around nervously, she darted into the dodgy street unnoticed.

And it was then where she reached her current location of Borgin and Burkes. She found it deserted, just as she suspected. And from the looks of it, it had been that way for quite some time. A thick layer of dust lay on all the store's wares, as well as on all the furniture of the upstairs room where Mr. Borgin resided. At last pleased with her location, Bellatrix lay down.

It wasn't until the next morning where she ran into trouble. She had begun searching the cupboards for any food that may have been left from Mr. Borgin's stay here, but she found nothing. It was then when she heard voices.

"_Homenum revelio_." The incantation came from downstairs, and as it was muttered, Bellatrix felt a warm feeling wash down her body. It was a male's voice, of that she was certain. But whose?

"Remember to use nonverbal spells, Harry," another voice whispered. This was a deep, male voice, and it unmistakably belonged to Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Someone's here." That belonged to a new voice. It sounded nervous.

"Let's check upstairs," Kingsley said.

Bellatrix suddenly became nervous. She knew sooner or later searches for Death Eaters would begin. _Better be leaving_! She looked around hurriedly, but realized she had no possessions. So, she Apparated.

She disappeared before the three Aurors-in-training could see her vanish. Harry, Ron, Neville, and their mentor, Kingsley Shacklebolt, wouldn't know who was in the upstairs room of Borgin and Burkes for quite some time.

**A/N: This chapter is a little short, sorry about that. Look for Chapter 5 soon!**


	5. The Final Meeting

The ceremony for the deceased was over. Shortly afterwards, everyone sat in the Great Hall once again, but as opposed to the morning's meal, the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant. The black drapes were gone, and had been replaced with the usual house crests on the walls. Everyone could now be happy, for they knew that the fighters who were killed had been properly honored.

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna. Although Harry never voiced it, he though of them as his closest friends. And he was pretty sure the rest of them thought the same.

Out of nowhere, Luna asked, "So, when's the next D.A. meeting?"

Harry looked puzzled, along with his friends. "Well, there's not really any use anymore, is there?"

"Well sure there is!" replied Luna. "I think that we're Dumbledore's Army, no matter what!" After a brief silence, someone else spoke.

"She's got a point, mate," Ron said. "And, there are still Death Eaters out there, for all we know."

"I suppose." Harry shrugged.

"Well, I think we should have another meeting," Luna suggested cheerfully. "Do you have anything else to do, Harry?"

Feeling somewhat awkward, Harry said, "Well… no…"

"Perfect! When shall we meet then?" Luna questioned.

"How about… tonight?" Neville spoke up at last.

"Why not?" said Harry, at last giving in. "It'll be tonight. Eight' o'clock." He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out his fake Galleon.

***

Now, the six same students who sat together at dinner sat around the comfortable armchairs in a corner of the Room of Requirement, which had been created to make the meeting place of Dumbledore's Army.

"Are you sure anyone else will come?" asked Harry nervously.

"Yes," said Neville. "We told everyone to carry around their coins this year. We had regular meetings. Believe me, they'll come." He was looking extremely confident, and Luna nodded in agreement.

Shortly after Neville spoke, the door opened. It was Dean and Seamus. Following immediately after them came Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, and then her Ravenclaw sister, Padma. Cho Chang arrived next, with her friend Marrieta. Upon seeing her, Harry exchanged glances with his friends. However, Cho came up to him and whispered in his ear, "She's come around. Don't worry."

Harry nodded, and watched as Terry Boot, Michael Corner, and Anthony Goldstein joined the group, which was slowly increasing in size. The next wave of students included the Hufflepuff members of the D.A.: Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, and even Zacharias Smith, who, despite his occasional rudeness, was a valuable addition.

"Good to see you, Harry," Ernie announced formally, and extended his arm to shake Harry's hand.

"Nice to see you too, Ernie," Harry replied, somewhat amused at Ernie's pompous behavior. Ernie then proceeded to the back of the room, and watched with the others as Harry's former Quidditch team members entered. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet came in, accompanied by Oliver Wood.

Oliver walked up to the leader of the group. "Harry," he began, "I know I'm not technically a part of this, but I thought…"

"Welcome in," said Harry with a smile, which was returned by the former Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

The last to arrive were Dennis Creevey and George Weasley. The moment they entered, the room's décor suddenly changed. On a formerly bare wall spot appeared two portraits. The first one was of Colin Creevey. The second was of Fred Weasley.

Everyone remained silent as they watched this transformation. "We're all here now," said Dennis. "We can begin." George smiled and nodded. He was too choked up to speak.

"Right," agreed Harry. "Let's begin."

The D.A. took their seats in the various chairs that bordered the room. Harry stood at the front, with Ron and Hermione seated nearest to him.

"I know that we haven't met in quite some time," said Harry, "But I'm thrilled that some of you continued our purpose while I was away." He gestured towards Neville, Luna, and Ginny.

He continued. "First of all, I want to congratulate you. Without this group, Voldemort would probably still be alive."

"He would," agreed Dean, and several others nodded as well.

"Now, I know in life, we will probably all go our separate ways, and choose different careers, set different goals, and move different places. But please, just remember, the D.A. still lives. We'll always be members until the day we die and even after that. We still need each other. So, hopefully, you all still have your Galleons. I believe most of you do."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group.

"And just in case," cut in Hermione, "I have extras." She held up a small cloth bag that jingled as she displayed it.

Harry grinned, and continued speaking. "Always hold on to them. You never know. Just in case. The D.A. will always be the D.A."

"Always," said Luna firmly.

"And, just to be sure that all of you will keep your promise, and keep your coins, I have this parchment. If you could just sign your name please…"

Harry hadn't wanted this form to be used, but Hermione felt it would help people remember. He didn't want to argue with her.

No one else seemed to mind signing the parchment, with the exception of Marietta.

"This one's jinx free," Hermione added. Reluctantly Cho's friend joined the line of people signing the form. She really would keep her promise this time.

After everybody signed, and Oliver Wood got his fake Galleon, people just meandered about, talking amongst themselves. However, there was one person who arrived late. The door to the Room of Requirement swung open. Immediately, twenty-seven wands were pointed towards the boy standing in the doorway. Those wands belonged to everyone in the room – except Harry.

"Can I sign it too?" Draco Malfoy asked.

There was silence, until Harry said, "Put your wands down." Reluctantly, everyone did.

Harry walked up to Malfoy. "Why have you come?"

"Well, I was… manipulated. I was taken advantaged of. By… the Dark Lord. If there were anything I could do to get back at him, it'd be joining this." Draco looked nervous.

"Where have you been?" asked Harry. "You weren't at the ceremony."

"I was at home," replied Draco. "My mom… she doesn't want us to be seen."

"Does she know you're here right now?"

Draco shook his head. Harry looked back at Ron and Hermione for assistance.

"Your decision, mate," Ron said.

"You can sign," said Harry.

"Pott – Harry," Draco said, "can you forgive me?"

"Absolutely," Harry said.

The social gathering ended after about an hour, and it was just Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny left. Glancing around, Hermione said,

"Well, I think everything looks tidy enough. I'm going to head to bed now." She jerked her head slightly in Ron's direction. Not getting Hermione's hint, Ron said,

"I think I'm just going to stay for a little bit longer."

Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed Ron's arm, leading him out of the Room of Requirement.

It was only Harry and Ginny now. Ginny walked right up to Harry, her head about a foot under His.

"You've been amazing," she said.

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

"I mean it! Not just anyone could do everything you've done."

"Well, if you mean the prophecy -"

"No!" said Ginny. "I don't mean that! Even if that prophecy hadn't been made, not just anyone could've defeated him like that."

"Well, I suppose…"

Ginny decided to change the subject. "Harry, about a year ago, you told me we couldn't be together because I would be in danger. You said if I were too close to you, You-Know-Who would target me. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "But, that doesn't really matter any more, does it? I mean, he's gone now…"

Harry was going to say more, but was couldn't. Ginny's lips had blocked the rest of his words from being spoken. His lips responded to Ginny's, and for the first time in a long time, Harry knew that everything was all right again.

"I mean it! Not just anyone could do everything you've done."

"Well, if you mean the prophecy -"

"No!" said Ginny. "I don't mean that! Even if that prophecy hadn't been made, not just anyone could've defeated him like that."

"Well, I suppose…"

Ginny decided to change the subject. "Harry, about a year ago, you told me we couldn't be together because I would be in danger. You said if I were too close to you, You-Know-Who would target me. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "But, that doesn't really matter any more, does it? I mean, he's gone now…"

Harry was going to say more, but he couldn't. Ginny's lips had blocked the rest of his words from being spoken. His lips responded to Ginny's, and for the first time in a long time, Harry knew that everything was all right again.

**I've never tried any romance before... what do you think? Write a review or send me a PM to let me know!**


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